


About A Little Boy That Lived In A Blue World

by camichats



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Communication, Developing Relationship, Fade to Black, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Getting Together, Immortality, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), M/M, Minor Steve Rogers/Thor, Misunderstandings, Past Abuse, Praise Kink, Traditions, Undressing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2019-10-30 14:33:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17830388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: The Frost Giants are willing to sign a treaty with the Asgardians, if there's a little marriage with them to solidify it. HowTonygot dragged into that when he's just a human, he'll never know. His husband is attractive though. So that's a plus.





	1. Meeting/Marriage: They're the same right?

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for kink bingo Loki/Tony Stark

Tony knew that being allies with Asgard would have unknown consequences, but he thought they would be more along the lines of this alien race thought they knew more about inter-world relations than they did. Not 'hey we've had beef with Asgard for so long that we don't want to marry one of our people to one of theirs but an ally will do just fine'.

He was pretty sure that this wasn't a solid treaty, to have a Jotun that had been living on Asgard for half his life to marry a Midgardian. How was that going to help anyone? And shouldn't someone have told the Jotuns that arranged marriages weren't a worldwide thing before agreeing to this? And for that matter, who agreed to this? Who had met with them and said 'yes absolutely take Tony Stark, nobody on our planet wants him'? _Who_?? Cause Tony needed to smack them upside the back of the head.

"Thor."

"Yes friend Tony?" he responded, looking up innocently from his inspection of the newest poptart flavor.

"How... _exactly_ did my name get mentioned in your peace talks?"

"Oh, the Jotuns asked for you specifically," he said easily, going back to look at the pastry.

"What?!"

"You are famous throughout the realms," Thor said, as if this wasn't world shattering news. "Your good intentions are as well known as your inventions. They thought you more trustworthy than any Asgardian, so." He shrugged, picking up the poptart and taking a tentative bite. He hummed happily and took another bite, this one large enough that it was half of the entire rectangle.

Tony blinked dumbly at that, but Thor didn't elaborate anymore, instead making his way through the box of food like it was a light snack. He'd met all sorts of aliens-- because yes Jane, that's absolutely what they are-- and not a single one had breathed a word of this to him. Why was he just finding this out now? Why did nobody tell him things? He was surely the dumbest, most ignorant genius in this century.

He sighed and left Thor to munch happily. He probably could have tried to get more information from him, but Thor was happy right now and the last time he'd tried to get more knowledge about the Frost Giants, he'd gotten angry and clammed up.

He would have liked to at least know the name of who he was getting married off to, if for no other reason than to make sure he could pronounce it by the time they met. It wouldn't make for a very good diplomatic meeting if he butchered his name so badly he ended up calling him 'goat' or something. Oh well, he'd have plenty of time to figure this out, he was sure.

* * *

He hated being proved wrong. Not because of his ego _Steve_ , but because it meant he wasn't prepared. Like right now. When he was putting a peace treaty between two worlds at risk. Oh yeah, this was great. Again, he had to ask: _why didn't people tell him things_??? Apparently he'd been informed about his wedding _two weeks_ before it happened! This was ridiculous; he couldn't work under this kind of pressure.

Was his husband-to-be made of ice? Was he actually giant sized or just a little bit bigger than humans? Or was it a wacky third option of being a little smaller and the 'giant' part of the frost giant name referred to their planet or palace or swords or something? Did they have powers? Was he going to accidentally freeze Tony to death because he thought Tony would be prepared and then all of a sudden Tony was dead and they were at war with Asgard again?

He couldn't live like this. Believe it or not, Tony was pretty easily stunned speechless-- so long as the event was actually stunning and not just mildly interesting _Agent_ \-- so by the time he got his voice back, he'd been pulled away by Asgardians who were told to prepare him for the coming nuptials. Apparently that included helping him dress, which Tony normally wouldn't have stood for, but he had no fucking idea how to put this- this _thing_ on, and he didn't have time to figure it out. "Why is this so complicated," Tony frowned, watching as his Asgardian helpers added _another_ layer on top of him.

"The idea is for your partner to enjoy taking it off," one of them said with a knowing smirk.

"Wouldn't it be better if it came off easily?"

They both got a look on their face to convey how amusing they found Tony's naive idea, and he grumpily kept his thoughts to himself after that, switching to asking about Jotunheim's history. He watched how they put it all on just in case his dear husband couldn't figure it out.

"Well it's... cold on Jotunheim," one of them said awkwardly.

Tony blinked. "Seriously? That's all you have for me? 'It's cold'? They're called frost giants, I'd be disappointed if they lived on a tropical beach. Actually I wouldn't, that sounds nice. Are we talking Arctic wasteland cold?"

They stared at him blankly.

"Ugh nevermind. What's his name?"

"Who?"

Tony rolled his eyes, knowing that he shouldn't take out his frustration on the two people that had gotten stuck with him, but come on. Who else would he be asking about? "The guy I'm marrying."

"Ah, Prince Loki."

"Woah woah woah. No one said anything about this guy being a prince!"

"Well you weren't going to be married to someone lowborn," he said, innocently confused as to why Tony needed this explained to him.

Tony made a noise of utter frustration but didn't move from his spot. God only knew what it would do to his costume if he tried to move before they were done. "Okay. What did you say his name was? Prince...?"

"Loki. Younger son of Laufey. His older brother is already mated, and far too old to marry one such as you, in any case."

'One such as you'? The fuck was that supposed to mean? "Okay well what-"

"Done!" One of them declared, pinning the garment together at his hip. "We made good time," he said approvingly. He put his hands on Tony's shoulders and turned him around. "Now, Prince Thor will be able to help you with the rest."

"The rest of what?"

They waved goodbye cheerfully after shoving him into a different room. "What the fuck," he breathed. This could _not_ be normal behavior. He would break down crying if it was, he really really would, don't test him universe.

Thor was, unsurprisingly, very little help. When Tony asked him if Frost Giants were actually giants, he looked all confused and said, "Why would they not be?" so Tony had zero idea what he would be walking up to when the time came.

He was expecting to be disappointed in some fashion, so it was the most pleasant of surprises when he saw Prince Loki for the first time and realized that he was goddamn _gorgeous_. Admittedly not in the conventional way, but Tony had slept with dozens of models in his time so there was little that could impress him in that area. The first thing he noticed was that his skin was deep blue, with markings that looked like scars a lighter shade dashing across his cheeks. The most accurate way to describe the crystalline protrusions would be to call them horns, but there were several of them on either side of his forehead, trailing up to his hairline. Tony thought they were dreadlocks-- or some Jotun equivalent-- when he first saw him, but as he got closer, he saw that they were actually massive braids, each strand made up of smaller braids, then smaller ones inside those. The most disconcerting part of his appearance was definitely the vivid red of blood vessels in his eyes, shining clearer than any healthy humans’ did, but even that was easy to get past. He was actually taller than Tony, which put him out a little bit, but he wasn't _giant_ sized, and that was always nice. He simply had a foot and a half on him. Not ideal, but better than someone four times his size.

After taking in the differences between Prince Loki and humans, Tony noticed what he was wearing, and immediately felt grumpy. Loki got to be shirtless, covered only by a thin, long necklace and a mound of furs at his back, and Tony had to wear fifty million layers? It they didn't keep the temperature down, those first four layers were all going to be drenched in sweat by the time he got them off. Okay to be fair, Loki's skirt looked to be a few layers itself, but nothing like the monstrosity Tony was sporting. He nearly pouted, but he remembered that this was actually important just in time to stop himself.

The ceremony itself was a blur, mostly because it was in a language Tony didn't speak. Or rather, _two_ languages he didn't speak, which was something of a blow for his ego.

Next thing he knew he was in a bedroom alone with Loki, the door closed firmly behind them. Tony frowned. "I thought there'd be a feast. Don't Asgardians love feasts? The way Thor talks, the rarely have a meal that isn't one.

"The feast is to come after," Loki explained, looking amused, but not in the same condescending way Tony's Asgardian helpers had when he didn't know something basic.

"What so we fuck and then everyone can eat?"

Loki laughed, and Tony found he quite liked the sound. "The feast is this time tomorrow." He brushed his fur cape off, tossing it towards the chair. He shrugged when it missed, and leaned back onto his hands, which he'd placed behind him on the bed. "I believe the idea is to give us time to either love each other or kill each other before the celebration happens."

"Huh. Guess that makes sense."

"Traditions occasionally aren't terrible."

"Only occasionally?"

"Not near as often as I'd like."

"What a shame."

"Indeed." Loki watched, amused smirk on his face as Tony struggled to get even the first layer of clothing off. He got to his feet to help only a few moments later. "Here." He replaced Tony's hands with his own, undoing the wrap of fabric with ease. "It was meant to be taken off by a partner."

"Well hooray for you."

Loki hummed. "Hooray for me indeed." His eyes were fixed to Tony, looking actually interested in him. Though how he could be when Tony's best features were buried at the moment, was a mystery.

He tried to think of it flippantly, but heat was growing in him. "So," he said, trailing a finger up Loki's chest to his necklace, "does this mean something? Or is it just decorative?"

"Decorative." Was it Tony's imagination, or did he sound a little breathless? "Once upon a time it meant something, but not anymore. A necklace is part of the wedding outfit though, so we wear them."

"I'm glad one of us knows the meaning of the clothes we're wearing," he muttered, still cross at no one explaining things to him.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "They did not tell you?"

"Nope."

"Ah." He dropped one swath of cloth on the floor. "This is not the outfit for _any_ Asgardian marriage."

"It isn't," Tony repeated flatly. "Are you shitting me?"

Loki's smile widened, hand going over Tony's head, a piece of fabric in tow. "In arranged marriages, when one is considered the more... attractive of the pair, it is seen as important to remind their spouse of the gift they are being given by being allowed to marry them. As such, you are wrapped. Every moment," he said, voice dropping to an intimate whisper, "is to remind you of the gift you are being given. A reminder to not mistreat or hurt."

"That hardly seems fair," Tony replied, voice just as quiet as he looked up at Loki, feeling small in a strangely comforting way. "You're in this just as much as I am."

"Fairness belongs to two beings of equal value." He had to bend far to touch his forehead to Tony's, but he didn't care. The spikes on his forehead were sharp on the top, but pressed flat like this, all Tony could feel was the exaggerated cold of them in comparison to the rest of him. "And Tony... I might have only met you, but I know when I do not measure up."

Tony surged forward, kissing him for all he was worth-- which wasn't half as much as Loki seemed to think. Loki's skin was cool, but his mouth was like a molten fire, burning through Tony in the best way. "Don't talk like that. You're worth just as much as me."

Loki gave a half smile. He didn't believe Tony, but he was willing to humor him. "I suppose you have the rest of your life to convince me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 3/2/2019: I told everyone that I wouldn't be continuing this but have since changed my mind... sorry >.> Hopefully you'll forgive me since it means more in this verse?


	2. Well Deserved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki thoroughly enjoy their wedding night, even if they had their doubts about it at first-- what with just meeting and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kink bingo square: Praise Kink

Tony had gone through a little series of up's and down's while he and Loki were talking. Not emotionally, just about whether or not they were going to sleep together during this twenty four hour interim between getting married and officially being a married couple-- or however long Asgardian days were; Tony quite hoped they weren't longer than thirty hours because he wouldn't be able to have sex that long and he'd probably get bored being shut up in their room for that long.

It went like this: they started talking once the door was closed, and Tony thought that they wouldn't have sex. Loki started complimenting him, and he thought that they would. Then Loki went all self-deprecating about how he wasn't good enough for Tony or something, and Tony thought they'd be working on becoming friends so sex was off the table. The simple fact of the matter was this: Tony wanted to tap that, and he was pretty sure that if he asked, Loki would let him. After all, he sure as hell hadn't turned him away when Tony kissed him.

"So," Tony said, "what do you say we get started on this 'rest of our lives' business?"

"I don't think either of us has much a choice in the matter by this point."

"Maybe not, but that's no reason to be miserable. You like me, I like you, you're fucking gorgeous and I want to see what you look like naked, so what do you say we at least get started on that part of this relationship?"

"You're a strange one."

"So I've been told. Normally I'd strip down and show you how good a bed partner I can be, but I kinda need your help to get out of this mess," he said, referring to the wedding outfit that made him look like a wedding cake-- seriously, it was just layer after layer of _ridiculousness_. "Want to lend me a hand, beloved husband?"

He'd said the epithet as a joke, but something warm and possessive flashed through Loki's eyes. "If you insist." There was already one layer on the floor of their room, and Loki worked to get the rest off. Unlike Tony, he apparently didn't have any trouble figuring out how it worked, which made it all the easier for Tony to sneak kisses. He nibbled at Loki's bottom lip, traced the seam of his mouth with his tongue, and curved a hand around his neck when he thought he could get away with it. Hint: Loki always let him get away with it. He never initiated a kiss on his own, and it was a good thing they'd already talked about Loki thinking he wasn't good enough because otherwise Tony would be feeling rejected.

"If you don't stop that," Loki breathed as Tony pulled away from a deep kiss (that he hadn't truly meant to initiate in the first place), "you're never going to get all these clothes off."

"Shouldn't it be motivation to get them off quicker?"

Instead of that having the desired effect-- i.e. Loki kissing him or saying to hell with the clothes and ripping them in half so Tony could get naked pronto-- he gave a little smile that conveyed quite clearly that Loki thought Tony had no intention of having sex with him. That was more than a little insulting because Tony was a lot of things, but a tease with no intention to deliver was _not_ one of them. He figured that saying that would only slow down the process, so he bit his tongue and waited. When it started to feel like he was no longer wrapped in a smothering blanket, he trailed his hands up Loki's arms to his shoulders.

"Mmm," he hummed, taking a half step closer so he could glide his hands around to Loki's back, then down to his waist where Tony could easily reach, "much better."

Loki huffed out a laugh and took Tony's hands from his waist, going about removing his garment quicker than before. Maybe he believed that Tony was interested now? No matter, he clearly wanted it, and Tony was the opposite of shy. His body could finally breathe, but of course that meant that when he was down to the translucent blue shift, he was shivering. "You should um-" Loki stopped, coughing to get rid of the rough timber his voice had taken. "You're probably cold. You should get under the covers."

"I'm sure you could warm me up," Tony said, stepping into him and resting his head on Loki's chest. It was impossible to describe what his skin felt like, but that wasn't going to stop Tony from trying to figure it out. Humans were warm, no two ways about it. Loki's skin was cold on the surface, but there was a deep heat to it. It meant that the first press of skin to skin was cold, but then Tony sunk into it, like sitting on a heated chair. "See? It's working already." Admittedly it wasn't comfortable, but that was mostly because Loki's necklace was sharp and pointy and he wasn't hugging Tony back so it felt a little weird to be clinging to him. "This is the part where you kiss me, you know."

"Is it? I don't remember reading that book."

"Yep. I get to make the rules, and I say yes, you have to kiss me."

"Can't argue with that," Loki mumbled, leaning down.

Tony tilted his head up to accept it, but it was a bare press of lips to his, there and gone in moments. He frowned but went back to hugging him. He could push it, but that wouldn't end well and pretty much _all_ he wanted, was for this to end well. His mind wandered as he looked for a solution, and it hit him. Loki wasn't making a move, because he didn't think it possible that Tony wanted him.

It had been a while since Tony had been in charge in the bedroom, preferring a more submissive role-- to the point that Pepper had asked if he officially considered himself a sub-- but he could change that if it meant making Loki more comfortable. Getting up on his tiptoes and putting one hand on the back of Loki's neck to pull him down, Tony kissed him again, and this time he didn't hesitate. He wasn't coy or playful or any of the dozen things he usually pretended to be to get a reaction. Loki kissed him back, meeting him inch for inch but never going further.

Tony was getting hard in the thin slip, his cock trailing precome across the smooth fabric and staining it. He stepped back and stripped out of it before he could ruin the material further. He was going to step back in and see about getting Loki's skirt off, but he stopped when he saw Loki looking at him hungrily, eyes taking in every inch of him and being delighted at what he saw. "You know, Frostie, I'm all yours. You can touch as much as you want."

"I think, perhaps, that I am more yours than the reverse."

"Well in that case..." Tony grinned, walking back up to him and kissing him again. His hands fumbled with the skirt for a minute before he pulled back with a frown. "Is this some sort of test to see if I'm worthy of getting fucked? Cause I'm not a fan."

Loki chuckled and reached to one of his sides, pulled a few times and then the garment fell to the floor in a puddle.

"It was on the side?" Alien fashion was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it. The universe at large was working against him, but not like they were trying to get him killed, just trying to drown him with inconveniences. "Fucking figures," he grumbled, hoping it would distract from the blush now bleeding across his cheeks. The blush was made worse by the fact that he wasn't actually embarrassed, but his blood was pumping and he was getting excited, so his body decided that blushing was the thing to do.

Tony couldn't wax poetic about anything, but Loki's body? _Wow_ he wished he could. Like, seriously WOW. That's all his mind was doing, saying 'wow' in big, flashing neon lights. He was seven and a half feet of pure wonderful, and Tony needed that dick in him stat. "So do we leave this on," he said, fingering the golden necklace, "or what?"

"Whatever you want elskr."

His finger trailed down the chain to the loop and up again on the other side. "Tempting," he admitted. "But not right now. Does it come off like a normal necklace or is there a trick to it as well?"

"I don't know what is considered a normal necklace," Loki said with a raised eyebrow, "but the clasp is in the back."

Tony nodded. "Normal, good." He tucked his fingers at the back of Loki's neck, and was surprised at how warm the skin there was, some byproduct of his hair, Tony guessed. It came undone easily under Tony's fingers, accustomed as he was to dealing with minute latches in metal. He was careful as he set it aside because it might get permanently damaged if he flung it to the side with as little care as he'd shown the rest of their clothes.

He took a minute (again) to appreciate the way Loki looked, then looked to see if there was a bedside table; there wasn't. "There has to be lube around here somewhere," he mused, jumping a little when Loki came up behind him, putting his hands on Tony's stomach.

"Lube?"

"Something to, you know, ease the way. Slick maybe?"

"Ah, yes. Over there," he said, and instead of pointing, he shuffled so that they were turned to face the table. It had various items on it, and what Tony had assumed was a large vial of ink, was what Loki was referring to. It made far more sense for a vial that large than the small size an inkwell usually was, so Tony kept his original assumption to himself.

"How about I get on the bed, and you go grab that," Tony suggested, tilting his head back to look at him. He noticed, now, that the red in Loki's eyes had thickened. Akin to widened pupils for humans, maybe?

"Okay." He brushed a kiss over Tony's forehead before he let go, going for the jar of slick.

Tony walked over to the bed then crawled up. _Who needed beds that high off the ground?_ he thought uncharitably, but his annoyance evaporated when he remembered that this was a Jotun bed and was therefore made to their size. He reached for a pillow, then paused. Would they be upset when they got dirty? Giving a mental shrug, he laid on his back and tucked the pillow under his hips. If they wanted it to be in pristine condition, they shouldn't have put it in a newly married couple's room.

Loki joined him uncertainly, hovering beside the bed instead of getting on it like he should have.

"Come here," Tony said, holding out his hands for him and making a grabby motion. He spread his legs and guided Loki to sit in the v between them. Thor had been helpful in one respect, and that was him telling Tony about that time he'd bedded a Frost Giant. He called it a mistake of his youth and talked more about how angry his father had been than the actual sex, but it was enough that Tony knew the mechanics were the same inter-species. He pulled Loki down for a kiss, using more tongue than was strictly necessary to get him to relax. It worked, and when Tony whispered, "Please," he opened the vial and coated his fingers.

He pressed the pad of his forefinger against Tony's entrance, sliding inside with no resistance-- or at least no more than was expected. He slid in slowly, giving Tony ample time to get used to the sensation. He looked so uncertain though, that Tony decided it was time to be vocal. He let out a low moan, twitching his hips towards Loki's hand. "God that feels good. Will you give me another?"

He pulled out his finger, then pushed back in with another.

"I am so glad you're good at this," he groaned.

"I haven't done anything," Loki mumbled in embarrassment, but there was a darker blue filling his cheeks in what Tony could only assume was a blush.

"I've had sex with a lot of people-- _believe me_ I can tell."

Loki twisted his wrist and Tony's back arched, trying to get those fingers deeper as he cried out. He pumped his fingers in and out, scissoring a little before taking his fingers out to add more lube. He pressed in with three fingers, and this time Tony felt a low burn at the stretch. It was impossible to feel uncomfortable with Loki's mouth on his thigh, sucking blood to the surface of his skin then soothing over it with his tongue.

Tony's hands went to his head, fingers twisting around the braids just so he had something to hold onto so it didn't feel quite as much like he was drifting listlessly. "Oh my god," he breathed. " _Loki_."

He shuddered at the way his name sounded falling from Tony's lips sounding so worshipful, and worked on sucking another mark on his thigh.

"Fuck that feels good, so good, oh my god." Admittedly Tony wasn't quite sure what he was saying, but his mouth was running as Loki worked him open, and the only thing that got him to pause was when Loki started to push inside. Three fingers was plenty for most people, but for Loki even four fingers was decidedly _not enough_. Proportionally to his own body, Loki was fine, but that was a good foot and a half taller than Tony. It didn't help that it had been a while since he'd bottomed, so right now Loki felt huge, splitting him in half in the best way possible.

"Are- are you okay?" Loki asked worriedly, having to stop to swallow because he was barely breaching Tony and it was already the best thing he'd ever felt.

"I'm fine," he said, taking shallow breaths. "It's just- been a while. Keep going. Slow?"

Loki nodded, moving at a glacier's pace until eventually he was bottomed out, the sharp jut of his hip bones pressing against the swell of Tony's ass as he panted.

"You-" Tony stopped, licked his lips and shifted his hips minutely, groaning. "You feel so amazing inside me." He felt Loki's cock twitch and smiled. "I can't believe you tried to talk me out of this, this is the best I've felt in ages. I should ask this now before I get too jealous, but you must have gotten around before getting hitched to me, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," Loki said, bending down to kiss around the arc reactor and stretching Tony's legs further in the process. The blue light looked white against his skin, like a spotlight on his face especially for Tony's viewing pleasure.

"How's that possible? I might be an alien, but even I can tell how gorgeous you are. And when you feel like this," he shifted his hips again, "there's no way word didn't get around."

"Perhaps to you I am special." He trailed his tongue to one of Tony's nipples, and, when he heard Tony's gasp of pleasure, gave it some attention. "But to my people, I'm an outsider."

"Aren't you a prince?"

"Yes, and if you met my favored older brother, you would understand."

Tony moaned, pushing his chest into Loki's mouth as he sucked on his nipple. "Was he not at the wedding?"

Loki snorted, working his way to the other side of Tony's chest. "He couldn't be bothered. He'll be at the feast tomorrow, but he didn't want to waste his time at the ceremony in case you rejected me."

"He sounds like an asshole, and I am very glad you're the one I married if _he's_ the one people like."

Loki gave an unconvinced hum, and Tony clenched down around him experimentally. It made Loki's breath catch-- which was always a plus-- but the better news was that he felt loose enough that Loki could fuck him.

"You can move," Tony said, rolling his hips against Loki's so there was no doubt what he meant.

Loki didn't pull out and immediately start fucking him, he ground his hips against Tony, winding Tony tighter so that when he did start thrusting Tony just about screamed as his back arched off the bed. "Oh- _fuck_ Loki. Oh my god that's so good-- _so good_ \- ah!"

He kept babbling praise, and he was pretty sure it wasn't his imagination that Loki was breathing just that bit harder and was gripping his thigh just that much tighter because of it.

Loki spilled inside Tony, his come shockingly warm as compared to what Tony was expecting. The head of his cock was rubbing against Tony's prostate, and he saw stars as he came, mouth dropping open.

Neither of them moved for a minute, catching their breath. For his part, Tony was blinking, trying to get the black spots from his vision to go away. He hadn't come that hard in years, and he idly wondered if it would be like that every time they had sex. He wasn't sure he was sturdy enough to handle it if it was like that _every_ time, but he could handle every once in a while.

Loki carefully climbed off of him and cleaned them up, then laid down next to him, lifting his head after a second to get his hair out of the way. "Still sure about this?"

Tony rolled over, indignant and half a second from ripping Loki a new one because there was no way that had been a one-sided event, then stopped. Loki had a teasing glint in his eye, and Tony huffed, scooting closer. "You're such a dick." He was feeling what would be the beginnings of a magnificent ache in a few hours' time, and he found that he did not mind.

"Is that an insult?"

"Usually, yeah."

"But not right now?"

"Definitely not right now."

Loki hummed, wrapping his arm around Tony's waist and pulling him closer. "Are you cold?"

He snuggled against his chest. "Nope."


	3. Introducing His Royal Highness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki greet Asgard as a married couple, and it's great except for the part where Tony forgets that he's a baseline human and the drinks here aren't exactly made for him. On the bright side, there's bowing and people call him 'Prince' and 'Your highness'.
> 
> (Tony Stark Bingo- T4 Royalty)

Apparently there were specific clothes that they were supposed to wear to the Wedding Feast, which Tony only found out when Loki set about getting him dressed before their twenty four hours were up. It was extravagant like he expected, but thankfully it was devoid of the dozens of layers like his wedding garb. "I still think this is weird," Tony felt the need to point out as he craned his neck to get a look at his back.

"After tonight, you won't have to worry about formal events excepting the major ones."

"What constitutes a major formal event?"

"Weddings of the noble line, alliances, that sort of thing." Loki smoothed his large hands over Tony's shoulders.

Since they'd spent so much time in bed together, Tony still hadn't gotten used to how much taller Loki was. He'd gotten used to his size when they were horizontal, but now, standing, was a whole other story.

"They only happen every century or so, usually longer," he continued.

Tony's eyebrows raised. "Well. Guess I won't have to worry about going to any of them then."

"What do you mean?" Loki asked with a frown.

"Humans don't tend to last _one_ century, let alone several."

"Oh," Loki said, face smoothing out, "you don't have to worry about that."

"How do you figure?"

Loki blinked, like he wasn't quite sure how to explain this because to him, it was so obvious. "The... liquid that we drank in the ceremony."

Tony nodded. It had been sweet and refreshing, and he hadn't thought anything about it; it wasn't a part of modern Earth wedding ceremonies, but it was familiar enough that Tony had barely noted it while it was happening, too busy listening to the language to see if he could pick anything up.

"It was juice from Idunn's apples. It elongated your lifespan so that we would be able to live together, elskr."

Tony blinked once, twice, then sighed. "No one tells me anything." Couldn't Thor have mentioned that at some point, Tony would become functionally immortal? He didn't think that was too much to ask.

"Would you have declined if you knew?" Loki asked.

"I just would've liked to know is all." There was no point in thinking about what-if's because it didn't matter; he didn't need to think about it because he wasn't going to get the opportunity to make that choice. "Is it only a lifespan thing or am I stronger now too?"

"I do not know," Loki said, tilting his head to the side slightly. "No one has ever taken it when they are this old. Your friend Prince Thor had it when he was but a baby, and it is like that with all of us."

Tony doubted that it would give him a boost in strength, but he could dream. He automatically looked around for something disposable that he could try it on, but then he remembered that this wasn't his room; nothing in here was his, not even the clothes he was wearing. "Hmph. So, not that I'm complaining, but are you planning on getting dressed?" he asked, eyes trailing over Loki's naked body.

"I think the Asgardians would throw me from their hall if I did not," he said, mouth curving in amusement. He trailed his hands over Tony's outfit one last time to get rid of wrinkles, then stepped away and reached for his own clothes.

"Their loss." Tony kind of wanted to sit on the bed, but that would wrinkle his dress-- for lack of a better word-- and Loki had worked pretty hard on making sure it was perfect. He watched Loki get dressed, taking note so that he would know how to get it out of him later on. "Where are we living? After this, I mean. Jotunheim?"

Loki snorted. "I have not been welcome on Jotunheim in an age, and it would be far too cold for you. You might be able to stand me, but the seasons can be unforgiving."

"If you're a prince, why would you be unwelcome?"

Loki didn't sigh, but his shoulders did droop, just a bit, as he continued to get dressed. "I was sent, as a member of the royal family to Asgard, to be a diplomat."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"My father thought they would kill me within the day. He didn't care about peace or war with them, he just wanted to be left alone. So he told me that I shouldn't come home until I reached an agreement with the All-Father, and he told the Asgardians that unless they could reach an agreement with me specifically, they would have no contact with us at all."

Tony made a noise of understanding. "And when you came out of it not only alive but with an agreement, he was unhappy."

Loki nodded. "He never liked me much to begin with of course, but now my people think I'm too warm-hearted from spending so much time with others. Asgardians like me more than other Jotuns, but I am not one of them. So," he shrugged, "here I am. Half an honor, and half a message that I am not to come home. Anyways, all of this is to say that you are free to continue living on Midgard." 

"And you'll be living with me?" 

Loki hesitated, taking the time to straighten out his shirt. "Officially, yes." 

"I've got plenty of room, of course you can stay with me." 

"I can't ask you to do that." 

"You're not asking me to do anything, I'm offering. I have the space, and more than that, I would like for you to live with me. No offense Loki, but did you really think that we spent the last day fucking just because I was bored?" More than ever, Tony wished someone had explained this arranged marriage thing to him. "Besides, don't we have to live together for the alliance to be considered official?" 

"Well yes," Loki said slowly, "but there are ways around that." 

"How fortunate then, that you don't need to think of any." Tony walked up to him and tilted his head up. "Now normally I'd pull you down for a kiss, but I'm not strong or tall enough, and it would probably wrinkle the fabric so how about you do us both a favor and lean down." 

He didn't move, and Tony scowled. 

"I'll ruin both our outfits, don't think I won't." 

Loki leaned down, and Tony kissed him sweetly. As he pulled away, he rubbed his thumb up the little spikes on Loki's forehead. Loki shuddered under his touch, and Tony paused. "Does that hurt you?" 

He shook his head immediately, then leaned his head ever so slightly into Tony's touch. "Not quite the phrase I would use." 

"Oh?" Tony said, a grin spreading across his face. "What phrase would you use?" 

Loki gently took Tony's hand in his own and removed it from his face, kissing Tony's fingers before letting go. "We don't have time for that." 

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door. "Prince Tony? Prince Loki?" 

It did not escape Tony's notice that he was listed first, and he wondered if this was going to be a regular occurrence that he was going to have to deal with. "Yes?" Tony called. 

"The door's locked," Loki reminded him. 

Tony gave a put-upon sigh. "The universe is conspiring against me." He was about to move to open the door when... whoever-it-was that was out there answered. 

"The Hall is ready to receive you, if you are willing." 

"Are they always so open ended about it?" Tony asked Loki, quietly so that their attendant wouldn't hear. 

Loki nodded. "If you say that you are unwilling, they disperse the feast claiming that you 'weren't ready' even though it is understood that you rejected me." 

"This is a scummy tradition," he told Loki. Then he turned his head towards the door and called, "We're ready, just one second!" He pulled-- which means he tugged a little and made his intention clear-- Loki down for another kiss. "Just remember, no matter what people out there think, you're coming home with me and we are going to live happily ever after whether they like it or not." 

* * *

They made a grand entrance, and that was less about personal preference and more about the fact that their entryway was in the middle of a wall behind the main table where they would be eating. And it didn't hurt that everyone had been told of their impending arrival, so the entire crowd was staring at the doors waiting for them to come in. 

If Tony had thought there were a lot of people at the wedding, it was nothing compared to right now. The Avengers hadn't been invited to the wedding ceremony-- some rule about outsiders or something, he didn't really know-- but they were here now, along with the entire extended family of partners, friends, and, in a few cases, children. Thor, for example, had been at the wedding, but was now flanked by Jane, Darcy, and Doctor Selvig instead of other Asgardians. The Avengers seemed to be mostly in one cluster, interspersed with Asgardians curious about Midgard and its culture. There were very few Frost Giants present, and they seemed to Tony, like they were all the same ones that had been at the wedding. 

Tony smiled and waved at the applause with one hand, the other holding Loki's because it seemed like the right thing to do. No one glared at him like he committed a terrible faux pas, so he figured it was alright. Luckily there were no speeches or a wait before they got to eat, which was good because he was absolutely _starving_. Marathon sex was all well and good, but sometimes you just needed a platter filled with unidentifiable meats and fruits. 

"So are they your friends?" Tony asked, gesturing towards the little cluster of Jotuns. 

Loki glanced at them. "Not exactly." 

"Uh oh, what's that supposed to mean?" 

Loki shoved a yellow fruit in his mouth and took his sweet time chewing. "It means," he said, after looking at Tony and seeing that he wasn't going to let it go, "that they were stronger, and I was smarter, and they came in the hopes that you would snub me in front of all of Asgard." 

"I hate everyone you ever mention. Don't you have any good memories?" 

"My mother was quite fond of me." 

"Good!" 

"Until..." Tony scowled, and Loki gave an apologetic shrug, his broad shoulders stretching at the golden fabric. 

"Until what?" 

"Until she learned I could do magic." 

Tony blinked. "You can do magic?" 

"Er, yes? Did they not tell you when you were approached about this marriage?" 

"I'm pretty sure I was told the bare fucking minimum," he grumbled automatically. "Not that it hasn't all worked out, of course. Don't get me wrong Loki, I think this is the best possible scenario for both of us, but I didn't even know your name until I was about to walk up to the altar. I didn't know you were a Prince, what you looked like, what kind of person you were... nothing. So uh, you can do magic?" 

Loki blinked, parsing through everything Tony just said, before deciding to nod. "Another skill my people aren't overly fond of." 

"No offense Loki, but I don't want to meet anyone else from your planet because they sound like a whole bunch of assholes. Are you sure we can't blow off this party and head straight to Earth? You may not like the name, but let me tell you, people will be nice to your face there. Not the general 'you', but you specifically they'll be nice to, I'll make sure of it." 

"You are very strange." 

"That's a popular opinion," Tony said, taking a tentative sip from his cup. It was a good thing he only took a sip, because it still hit him like a freight train. " _Wow_ ," he breathed, setting down the cup with a shaking hand. "That was- okay, wooh." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Are you alright?" Loki asked, concerned. 

"Peachy," Tony lied. Back when he'd basically been an alcoholic, this wouldn't have effected him so much. Now that he was limiting himself to two drinks per sitting, this was like a kick to the teeth. "Ugh. I don't suppose they have something normal like water?" 

Loki moved the cup further away from Tony before replying. "I'll ask." 

Tony heard him move, and it was around that time that his head started throbbing. How could he possibly have a hangover already? This was ridiculous. He wanted to get home, to his own bed with his own drinks-- the food was fine, he might even bring some of this along with him-- and he wanted to show Loki his tower and sufficiently dazzle him. Not, of course, that Loki needed the help in admiring Tony, but still. 

"I see you didn't ask what it was before you drank it," Steve's voice said from in front of him, amused. 

Tony weakly gave him the finger. 

"If it helps, Thor said he'd give me a barrel to bring home, so you don't have to find an alcohol that'll get me drunk anymore." 

"It _doesn't_  help," Tony grumbled. 

Somehow, it was Thor that came to his rescue. He clapped Steve on the shoulder-- Tony only saw because he peeked through his eyelashes when Steve didn't reply. "I know you wish to speak with Tony, but tradition dictates that we only talk with him if he comes to our table." Thor gave a slight incline of his head to Tony as a bow before they went back to their table, Steve saying that he thought that tradition was a little silly and that he hadn't meant anything by it but Tony had looked bored. 

Tony would have agreed if he had the presence of mind for it, but he was occupied with 1. the weird hangover/drunkenness and 2. the fact that Thor, prince of Asgard and heir to the throne, had just _bowed_  to him. Bowed. To Tony. This was single-handedly one of the weirdest things to ever happen to him. 

Loki returned, his hand a cool weight on Tony's shoulder. "Here you go," he said, softly so as to not make his headache worse. He was offering a different cup, the liquid obviously not the same as Tony's previous drink. "It should make you feel better if you drink all of it." 

Tony, without thinking about it, drained the cup. The headache ebbed, and his head was clear for a few glorious seconds. Then came the after effects, which reminded him of the painkillers he'd been given that time he got cut nearly in half. Oh great. He was high. Tony was fairly certain this was not what Loki had meant to happen, and then he thought that it was his own damn fault for chugging it when he should have sipped on it for the rest of the night. "How long is the feast?" 

Loki shrugged, sitting back down when he didn't detect any forthcoming issues with Tony. "A few more hours. It depends on the couple, usually. Why?" 

"Because I kinda need to get out of here, but I'm guessing my usual approach would make people think I hated you or something." 

"Why do you need to leave? Is something wrong?" 

"Little bit. Just- is there some way we can get out of here?" 

"I don't think you'll like it," Loki cautioned. 

"I don't care." 

Loki made a face like he didn't believe that, but he dutifully did as planned. Tony was a little surprised when, a few minutes later, they were kissing like they wouldn't get another chance to do it in this lifetime. He learned, a few minutes later, that apparently the excuse to leave was that they were too busy liking each other to pay attention to other people during the feast. 

Tony didn't hear what was said, but someone came up and exchanged a few words with Loki before he was helping Tony up and they made their way out of the grand hall. "Sneaking out under the guise of sex?" Tony muttered as Loki half carried him to a room. "I think we're going to get along just fine." 

"I would of course prefer if we were sneaking out to _actually_  have sex, but this works too." 

Tony grinned but hid his face against Loki's chest because he was pretty doped up, and the expression surely looked goofy on him. "We're going to get along _great_." 

"Sorry for- accidentally drugging you," Loki said with an apologetic wince. 

"As opposed to drugging me on purpose?" 

"Well if I did that, I wouldn't apologize, now would I?" 

Tony hummed. He was starting to get drowsy, the various aches throughout his body making themselves known now that he had gotten some food. 

"I'm not as nice as you think I am." 

"Liar." 

Loki snorted. "Well you're not wrong..." 

Generally speaking, Tony was ashamed when he fell asleep standing up because it meant he was in-- as Rhodey would say-- a downward spiral. However, this time he got to blame it on alien liquor/alien hangover remedy, which meant he was blameless. Besides, Loki caught him, so it's not even like he hit his head on the way down or anything. 

When he woke up again, he was sprawled half on top of Loki and to someone saying, "Prince Tony? Your highness, it's time to go home. Your people await your arrival with your husband." 


	4. Loki, A History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fill for Tony Stark Bingo K5-Abuse

****Loki showed up on Earth, or Midgard as he insisted on calling it, and immediately wrinkled his nose and asked, "Is this how hot it always is?"

Tony pat his arm and gave him the unfortunate news. "It gets worse." It was barely spring, and Tony wondered how high the chances were of convincing Loki to stay inside for the entirety of summer every year. 

Loki wilted a bit with that news but nodded. 

"Anyway, this is my tower!" Tony said, gesturing grandly in front of them. They were standing on the landing pad, which served as both a landing for the Rainbow Bridge, and a landing for the quinjet. "Well, Avengers Tower, but I made the designs for it and funded it, so it's basically mine. This is where we'll be living. Well," he amended, "it's where I've been living, along with the rest of the team, but if you think we should get a house or a condo or something we can definitely talk about that." 

"I'm sure this will be fine. So is it-" Loki had been walking to the edge, and he stopped when he got to it and peered over it to see the street some hundred feet below. "Do Midgardians always build this high?" 

"Eh, depends on the building. This isn't out of the ordinary though," Tony said, waving a hand at the skyline which showed buildings both shorter and taller. "Do Jotuns normally go higher?" 

Loki snorted, then schooled his face to something neutral. 

"Nu-uh, none of that. What are you thinking?" 

He assessed Tony for a moment before admitting, "We don't have any structure standing at even half this height. Everything is rather... slippery on Jotunheim." 

"Oh. Well," he said, clearing his throat, "we don't have that problem here." 

"Evidently not." 

"Do you want to see the rest of the building? Maybe meet the team?" 

Loki nodded, walking back towards him, and he walked alongside Tony as they went into the tower. "What sort of team is this?" 

"We're called the Avengers, we're basically a team of superheros. We fight people that want to take over the world, though god only knows why they'd want to go through the trouble." Tony shrugged as if to say 'what can you do'. "So we fight together, eat together most of the time, hang out, the usual." It was only after he said that that he realized Loki, with his lack of friends due to everyone on his planet being an absolute asshole, wouldn't know what 'the usual' referred to. Whatever, he'd figure it out pretty quickly, what with all of them living together. "You'll like them, they're pretty great. Most of the time. Sometimes they're just assholes." 

"Hm." 

Tony didn't think much about the short hum until the team was in front of them, introductions made, and Loki just glared at them. "You okay?" 

"Fine." He stared for a moment longer, then turned to Tony, expression lifting. "You said you'd show me the rest of the building?" 

"Uh, yeah, right this way." Tony shot the team an apologetic look and a shrug. Maybe Loki was experiencing some form of jet lag from moving planets, hell maybe it was just too hot for him to be comfortable. He made a mental note to lower the temperature in their room, and maybe he'd find a separate room especially for Loki so that he'd have somewhere he could always be comfortable. He _would_ lower the temperature for the Tower as a whole, but with Steve's history of ice that was an ill-advised idea. "We've got a library, a gym, I think I showed you the kitchen right off the common room?" Loki nodded. "You're free to anything and everything in there unless someone has written that it's their's. If you can't eat any of it or you'd prefer something else, just let me or Jarvis know and we'll take care of it; I don't want you to starve." 

"It would take quite a bit to starve me," Loki said matter of factly, like he'd tested the boundaries of this before and found it to be an inefficient way of killing him. 

"That's good news, but I still want you to be comfortable. You'll let me know if you need anything?" 

He inclined his head. 

"Thank you. I want to show my workshop, it's where I spend most of my time." 

"You don't have to do that," Loki said immediately, making Tony frown. 

"If you don't want to see it, I can show you somewhere else," he offered, even though it made his stomach sink in sadness. He wanted Loki to be impressed by something other than his reputation, and since he hardly let anyone in his workshop, it felt like Loki was rejecting him-- erroneous though that feeling was. "We've got a pool." 

"That sounds nice." 

Tony nodded, and Jarvis started to bring them up to the top of the building instead of down towards the 'shop. He'd been so excited to show him everything he could do, and Loki hadn't been interested. "So uh, the pool's normally heated but Jarvis can turn that off if you want to use it, that way you'll be more comfortable. I'll work on lowering the temperature in the rooms you go to most often so that you're comfortable, but with humans being the majority here, there's only so much I can do in common areas, I hope that's alright." 

"That's fine," Loki said, staring blankly at the elevator doors. 

Tony bit back a sigh. He thought they'd been doing well together, spending all that time alone and bonding after their wedding, but right now it was like none of that had happened. "Okay. Great." Tony had sort of been thinking that they'd share a room once Loki moved here, but now it looked like that was a bad idea. He'd had a little image of their room, temperature so low that his breath would show in puffs, and he would be buried beneath blankets and a heating pad as Loki was sprawled next to him on the mattress, comfortable in the cooler temperature. 

No point in wasting time pining though, he needed to redesign one of the rooms to accommodate Loki's bed-- that he apparently wouldn't be sharing with Tony any time soon. 

He didn't want to be a stranger to his own husband, especially if they were going to be stuck together for several centuries. Speaking of, Tony should probably tell someone about his elongated lifespan. How was he going to bring that up though? 'Hey honey bear by the way when you're old and dying I'll look the same'. No thanks. Also no thanks to the idea that he would be outliving Rhodey because that was just uncomfortable. 

* * *

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, frown on his face as he looked at the way Tony was hunched over the workshop table. He knew the different moods of Tony Stark based on the way he was leaned over his work, and hunching always meant that he was frustrated with something not-work related. 

"Peachy keen Captain." 

Steve raised an eyebrow; Tony pretty much never called him 'Captain'. Cap was probably what he called him more than his actual name, but never the full title. "If you and Loki aren't getting along," he ventured carefully, only to be cut off with a harsh snort. 

"We're getting along fine. No offense Cap-Cap, but you don't know what the fuck you're talking about, so why don't you leave it to the pros?" 

The insult didn't land, but Steve wasn't in the mood to coax Tony out of his shell. Thor had offered to give him a back massage, and Steve was _all_ about that. Sure Thor meant it as a friend thing-- or more accurately 'a bonding between shield brothers'-- but he was willing to ignore that for the overall intimacy of it. "Mmhmm," he hummed flatly. "I've heard that talking to your husband works, so maybe try that." He left after that, not wanting to see what reaction Tony would have to that. If he had _any_ reaction, that is. It was entirely possible that Tony was just going to ignore what he said. 

After the door swished shut though, Tony's hands stilled and he took a deep breath. He _should_ talk to Loki; he knew that. But what the fuck was he supposed to say? Hey please fuck me again cause it was great? Why did you act like you were in love with me only to ignore me now that we're here? 

Any question Tony could ask would get him an answer he wouldn't like. Normally that wouldn't stop him, but Loki seemed happy with the rooms he had and Tony didn't want to ruin it for him when it was obvious that so much of his life was a terrible disappointment. But he also couldn’t keep going with things going this way. The fact that Steve had noticed was a giant, neon, flashing sign that he was being obvious. With a huff, he threw the screwdriver on the tabletop and got to his feet, storming to the elevator and steaming. He didn't stop until after he knocked on Loki's door and was allowed in. 

"Maybe you can explain something to me," Tony said, eyes fixed on Loki as he leaned his shoulder against the wall. 

"Of course," Loki said, not looking up from where he was lounging in a chair, reading a book with a title in a language Tony didn't recognize but guessed was Slavic. 

"What's the correct course of action when your husband, who previously was interested in you, suddenly avoids you and acts like he doesn't give a shit whether you spend any time together?" 

Loki paused, slowly closing the book. "You're upset." 

Tony bit back a quip and replied with a simple, "Yes. I thought you said you wanted to make this work." 

"That was before I realized the extent of the pressure you are under to keep me in line." 

"What?" 

Loki finally glanced up at him. Whatever he saw in Tony's face made him set his book to the side and get to his feet, but he made no move to get closer to him. "You've been told to keep me appeased so that I do not wander your planet, correct?" 

"No, not correct, not in the slightest, Frosty. What made you think that?" 

"I-" Loki stopped, swallowed, then looked around the room Tony had designed for him and motioned to it with his arm. "This room." 

"What about it? I wanted you to be comfortable." 

"You... were not ordered to give this to me?" 

"No." 

"Oh," he said, looking small in the space. 

"Was there anything else making you think I had fucking orders to keep you happy instead of me wanting you to be happy all by myself?" 

"Your workshop," Loki said tentatively, doubting his theory now that one point had been countered. 

"What about it?" 

"You offered to show it to me even though we've barely met." 

"I trust you." 

Loki's hand twitched in a strange way, like he was reaching for an item that wasn't around. He swallowed thickly, inching closer to Tony. When Tony took a responding step towards him, he walked a little faster until they were side by side, their arms touching. "On Jotunheim, my workshop was very private. Or at least I meant for it to be when I started. People would walk in as if it was their right, touch things that were meant to be left alone, and move items as if they did not have a place for a reason. If I complained, I was punished. Eventually, my doors were open to everyone on the planet whether I wished it or not. I did not want you to feel forced to let me into your space." 

"I want you there. When you showed up, I was so excited to show you everything and you just... it seemed like you didn't care." 

"That was not my intention," he said, head hanging low in shame. 

"I know." _Now_ , he added silently. "I want for you to be comfortable visiting me there if you'd like to do so in the future. Would you like to see it?" he offered, a touch more formally than he normally would have done. 

Loki gave a small nod, and he went willingly when Tony grabbed his hand and led the way. "Your team," he ventured as they walked, then fell silent. 

"What about them?" 

"Are you... friends?" 

"Yeah of course. Why?" 

"When you mentioned them before," Loki said slowly, "it sounded like perhaps you did not get along." 

"We do. I mean, we disagree sometimes, but I trust them with my life-- and yours-- and at the end of the day, we're- a family. I guess. If you want to get all sappy about it." 

"I did not have friends on Jotunheim. My family wasn't very fond of me either. I suppose I misunderstood." 

"No offense, but that's good to hear. I thought you didn't like them, which would make the next forty years pretty damn awkward. Probably longer, depending on how long Steve lives." 


	5. Candlelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki doesn't really have experience with candles, so he orders a couple to try them out. 
> 
> (Tony Stark Bingo A5-Kink: Candles)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little interlude about candles simply because this AU was all I could think of when I saw the bingo square.

Loki had seen candles before, of course. Not on Jotunheim, but on Asgard there had been the occasional one. For the most part, they had stuck to torches. Midgard was entirely different. All of their so called 'general stores' had a section with candles, there were entire companies dedicated to making ones in different sizes and scents. 

"Jarvis?" he asked hesitantly one day, a website of one such company up on the tablet Tony had gifted him. 

"Yes sir?" 

"What scent is the best?" 

"I do not believe there is one classified as 'best'. As I do not have an olfactory system of my own, I recommend a sampling of their products." 

"That sounds good." Loki peered at the tablet, trying to figure out where the option for that was. 

"Allow me to do it for you, sir." 

"Oh." Loki blinked in surprise, still becoming accustomed to both Jarvis and Tony's generosity. "Thank you." 

"You are quite welcome, sir. Anything else I can do for you?" 

"No. Thank you, Jarvis." 

He'd heard that ordering online instead of in person meant that it would take several days for the items to arrive. He was therefore suitably surprised when all the candles showed up the next day. Loki couldn't help but wonder how much of his experience was typical Midgardian life, and how much of it was a perk of living with Tony Stark. 

Loki started unpacking the boxes, with every new scent stopping to smell it before it was lit. There was a row of ten, and he gave into the impulse to light them all before continuing. All the scents mixed together, which he knew wasn't quite the point of them, but he couldn't feel guilty about it. He hadn't really meant to, but before he knew it, all the boxes were empty and the room was awash with the light from a hundred candles covering the section of floor in front of the television. It made the room warmer, but Loki was probably the only one who would notice. Maybe he should put them away... but he liked them, and besides, he'd have it cleaned up before anyone noticed. 

He laid down in front of them, on his stomach with his arms folded and his head resting on them. Staring at the fire like this almost hurt his eyes, and when he looked away, his vision was a mottled mess of black dots before it cleared. He looked back to the candles though, something peaceful settling in him. 

What he didn't count on was Tony coming up for a break from work ten minutes later. Tony didn't say anything about it, but Loki still looked over at him in wide-eyed guilt. "Everything okay?" Tony asked. 

Loki paused, then nodded, turning back to stare at the candles. 

"Trying out candles?" 

He made a noise of confirmation. 

"I take it you like them?" Tony asked, walking closer. 

"They're mesmerizing." 

Tony sat down next to him, resting a hand on his back. "How so?" 

"You don't see it?" 

"I guess I'm used to them." 

"It's gorgeous," Loki breathed. He had the urge to reach out and grab the flame, but he knew how badly that would burn him. Controlled fire, like a pet to be cared for. Any fire on Jotunheim was a disaster, so it was startling to see it here, treated like this. He didn't see Tony looking at him fondly, too busy staring at the candles. He shook himself. "Sorry, I meant to have them away by the time you got home." 

He started to get up, but Tony pushed him back down. Or rather, he pushed at the center of Loki's back and he got the hint to stay where he was. "It's fine. I do kinda see what you mean though." Granted, Tony's experience was less about the fascination of candles and their existence, and more about the sex that tended to follow walking into a room filled with lit candles. Tony could feel interest stir in his abdomen automatically, and he wondered if Loki would be interested in doing something like that. Probably not, which was a shame. Then again... 

Loki turned to look at him, the familiar look of interest in his eyes. 

Tony leaned down to kiss him. Loki had to lean up to meet him and the angle was awkward, but after a little bit of shifting they figured it out. Loki rolled onto his back and pulled Tony on top of him. Now Tony wasn't a spiritual man by any means, but from that position it looked like Loki had a halo and Tony was _feeling_ the divine power right now. 

There was lube tucked between the cushions of the couch-- left there by Steve and Thor he was pretty sure, and Tony had never been happier that two people were screwing where they shouldn't be-- and Tony grabbed it before going back to straddle his husband. And then he realized that he still had _all_ his clothes on, and that was so stupid of him. 

Later-- much _much_ later-- Tony wondered if it would be suspect if he bought out an entire stock of candles. Probably, but Pepper also wasn't here to stop him. He grabbed his phone and started adding things to the cart. 

* * *

_The Next Day_

"Uh Tony?" 

"Yeah Cap?" Tony said absently, putting more grinds in the coffee machine and starting a new pot. 

"Should we be worried?" 

"About what?" 

"Oh, you know. The fifty boxes all labeled fragile sitting in the common room. The room you had to pass to get in here. Any of this ringing any bells?" 

"Nope," Tony said, just to annoy him. "Have you tried asking Thor about it?" 

"Why would Thor know?" 

Tony shrugged. "You never know what Loki and Thor talk about when they have those 'not Midgardian' lunches. Puppies, fashion, me... you." 

"Why would they talk about me?" Steve asked, too quickly and blushing too brightly for it to sound as innocent as he wanted. 

Tony slowly raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. It was just an example." 

Steve shoveled cereal into his mouth and didn't ask Tony about the boxes again. Success. It's not that Tony wanted to blame Steve specifically for prying about something he thought was innocent, but Tony was used to his 'conquests' telling people every little detail. Even if they didn't, people would make shit up about their relationship anyways. Loki had to deal with enough crap from his life, he didn't need Tony bringing any extra around. 


End file.
